Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Doug Fieger had tumours removed from his brain.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/04/people.fieger.ap/index.html

I always thought he played a Ric, but this video shows him playing a strat. The bass player has a Ric, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXVitkINDp0

I would say so, considering their last few CD's have had Ricks on the cover!

Anyone interested in The Knack's guitars should check out their 'Live From The Rock 'n' Roll Funhouse' DVD (2002). Doug changes guitars on practically every number. As I recall he plays a Rick 360/12V64 and a 450/12, along with Strats, a Gibson J160E, and an Epiphone Casino. The lead guitarist mostly plays a Les Paul, but also uses a Rick 360/12 and an SG on a few tunes. They are filmed miming along with live recordings. Lame in spots but still worth seeing once.

Lip syncing? I thought it was a true live performance.

Dane: They aren't miming to the original studio recordings, but they aren't playing live. It sounds like they recorded themselves playing live, possibly added overdubs, and then mimed to it. At least that's what it looks like to me.

A much better rental would be the documentary ("Getting the Knack," I think it is). No serious screen time of Doug with a Ric, but Prescott Niles uses one in the clip(s) for My Sharona. A LOT better than the Funhouse thing, which has good intentions but is a bit embarrassing, IMO.

Hope Doug is OK. All reports to date say he's doing fine.

Kenny's right, though there are a few people interviewed in the doc. about the Knack who are pretty embarrassing as well.

I won't name any names but one's official rock cred in the doc. is a title that lists her former band's name on it, a group that no one's ever heard of and probably was never even signed.

This is conspicuous because her unlinsted musical claim to fame is that she was once the world's most famous groupie.

And the other may be even worse, a guest star child actor from that famous rock 'n roll show the Brady Bunch.

When either one comes on the screen you'll be tempted to do an Elvis on your TV.

Robbie Rist is a good friend of mine and saw The Knack's first show ever at the Troubadour, thankyouverymuch. He also carried the torch for The Knack when a lot of other people had forgotten about them.

I didn't say he wasn't a good guy. And I didn't say he wasn't a fan.

But by virtue of those qualifications alone, thousands of people are qualified to be in any once popular band's documentary. Does that mean they should?

The Knack is guilty pleasure of mine. I like some of the guitar riffs and of course I like the gear they use. I recall that between 1979-1981 my girlfriend at the time wouldn't allow their music to be played in her presence. She thought the lyrics were juvenile and misogynistic.

Those elements played a huge part in their downfall, Randy, as was a complete lack of damage control with the press and perhaps most of all an inability to come up with more good material when they could have still garnered airplay.

"I didn't say he wasn't a good guy. And I didn't say he wasn't a fan. But by virtue of those qualifications alone, thousands of people are qualified to be in any once popular band's documentary. Does that mean they should?"

Absolutely! I would have loved to be interviewed for it, as a "man-in-the-street" fan. And I would hope that if I had been, that no one would want to "do an Elvis" on their TV because of my lack of "official rock cred."

Hey, it could be worse - I saw a Pink Floyd documentary recently with no band interviews and all interviews with self-proclaimed rock scholars and the like. At least they got all four of the original Knack-ers to talk extensively in this one, along with some pretty good archive footage. And the actual Sharona to boot.

Robbie Rist plays in what seems to be a million power pop bands too, I've seen him play guitar and drums, so I would think that makes him the kind of expert I'd wanna see talking about the Knack.

My Sharona was catchy as hell, but during their time they had like zero cred with the local (L.A.) musicians. Didn't stop a lot of 'em from trying to jump on the bandwagon, though.

Rock scholars in docs thing is the opposite extreme (Dr. so and so from the University of Please Yourself explains you why an obviously great song is, uh... well, great.)

I bet I'd like Robbie if I met him. But I still bet ten bucks that the majority of viewers, Knack fans included, would want to chuck something at the tube once he came on.